On-Campus Healthcare Administration Certificates help students sharpen their medical acumen, boost their business prowess, and develop their knowledge of healthcare policy. With options at the post-bachelor’s and post-master’s levels, certificates in healthcare administration offer numerous options to help professionals pursue and fulfill their specific interests and needs.

These short, one- to two-semester opportunities help students develop their knowledge and skills in general management, financial management, organizational behavior, and other subjects related to healthcare administration. The goal of many healthcare administration certificates is to offer students well-balanced foundational knowledge in the subject.

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Why Pursue an On-campus Certificate in Healthcare Administration?

A graduate certificate in healthcare administration can enhance an existing bachelor’s degree.

If you have a bachelor’s degree in political science or business, for example, you might pursue a graduate certificate in healthcare administration to apply your knowledge of political science or business to administration in the field of healthcare.

If you have a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, you might pursue a graduate certificate in health services management, hospital administration, or public health administration (three subfields of healthcare administration) to specialize your knowledge and skillset in the field.

A graduate certificate in healthcare administration can also help you “test” the subject to see if it’s something you want to study in greater depth.

Through the core curriculum in a healthcare administration certificate, you can see if you want to pursue more healthcare administration education through a master’s degree. Many schools allow students to transfer their graduate certificate credits to a more advanced degree (though always check with an advisor to ensure your credits will transfer!)

Through the elective curriculum in a healthcare administration certificate, you can try our sub-areas of a healthcare administration area, such as public health administration or hospital management, to see if you’d rather pursue a master’s degree in one of those areas or another.

Whether you pursue a graduate certificate for its own sake or as a stepping stone toward a master’s degree, a certificate will help you enhance your skills and knowledge and add nuance to your resume.

Types of Healthcare Administration Certificates

There are several types of healthcare administration certificates professionals might pursue. For example:

In on-campus healthcare administration certificate programs, students take four to six courses that cover core and elective curricula. Typically, roughly ninety percent of a program is dedicated to core study (in areas such as finance, marketing, and management), and about ten percent of a program is devoted to elective subjects that students choose based on their needs and interests.

Graduate-level healthcare administration certificates are typically housed in schools’ graduate studies section. Therefore, they typically draw their curricula from master’s degree programs in healthcare administration and other related subjects. This means that you’ll likely study alongside students pursuing their master’s or doctorate degrees. This can allow for a rigorous study and help you get a sense of what it takes to pursue a master’s degree.

Healthcare Administration Education: Certificate Requirements

Given that the curriculum could be the same between a graduate certificate and a master’s degree, the big difference between the two lies in the length of a program and its specific requirements. While pursuing a master’s degree in healthcare administration requires one to two years of fulltime study (typically twenty classes overall), a certificate in the same subject typically takes just six months to earn.

Another difference lies in what it takes to officially earn a certificate or master’s degree. To earn a master’s degree, students must not only complete coursework, but also write a thesis, defend a thesis, and in some cases, take a comprehensive exam. To earn a certificate, students only complete coursework.

Curricula for an On-Campus Healthcare Administration Certificate

By becoming healthcare administrators, students become professionals knowledgeable of the cross-section of business, public policy, and healthcare. As they engage in their healthcare administration certificate programs, they study this cross-section and learn how to apply their knowledge to public, private, or non-profit settings.

As part of their core curriculum, students might take healthcare administration courses that cover:

Contemporary healthcare systems

Healthcare management

Healthcare leadership

Accounting and costing in healthcare

Managerial accounting

Organizational behavior

Informatics and analytics

Quality and regulatory issues

Project management

Economics in healthcare

To broaden or deepen their knowledge, students might study subjects like these through elective coursework (note that courses in subjects like these will be taught using healthcare as a lens):

Population health management

Healthcare policy

Healthcare economics

Strategic planning

Marketing

Quality and risk management

Law and ethics

Human resources

Emergency management

Research methods

As you can see, healthcare administration classes help students develop foundational and specific knowledge in areas across healthcare administration.

Potential Careers for Healthcare Administration Majors

Upon entering a certificate program in healthcare administration, you might be in one of three places:

In an existing career in healthcare administration with the hope of enhancing your existing position.

In an existing career in healthcare administration with the desire to shift your direction to a more nuanced area of the field.

Just beginning your career in healthcare administration with the intention of using your certificate to entering the field.

No matter the position you’re in, there are lots of options for you as a healthcare administration major. Here are some jobs you might pursue:

Hospital department manager

Medical office business manager

Healthcare program director

Social welfare administrator

Nursing home administrator

Public health manager or administrator

Health information manager

Insurance underwriter

Consultant

These are just some of many options. When you’re looking for a healthcare administration certificate program, choose one that enables you to study what you need to in order to pursue your ideal path.

Potential Salaries for Healthcare Administrators and Other Professionals in the Field:

Here are some potential salaries for professionals with education in healthcare administration:

Medical and Health Services Managers: according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Medical and Health Services Managers earned a median annual wage of $98,350 in 2017. The BLS predicts that this occupation will grow by 20 percent between 2016 and 2026.i

Medical Records and Health Information Technicians (including health management administrators): the BLS shows that professionals in this occupation earned a median annual wage of $39,180 in 2017. The BLS predicts that this occupation will grow by 13 percent between 2016 and 2026.ii Note that professionals in this occupation need only have an undergraduate certificate. If you have a bachelor’s degree in a subject completely unrelated to healthcare administration, a graduate certificate in the subject with a focus on health information could help you enter the field.

Administrative Services Managers: the BLS shows that professionals in this occupation earned a median annual wage of $94,020 in 2017. The BLS predicts that jobs in this area will grow by ten percent between 2016 and 2026.iii

Social and Community Services Managers: The BLS shows that professionals in this occupation earned a median annual wage of $64,100 in 2017. The BLS predicts that jobs in this area will grow by 18 percent between 2016 and 2026.iv

Human Resources Managers: the BLS shows that professionals in this occupation earned a median annual wage of $110,120 in 2017. The BLS predicts that jobs in this area will grow by nine percent between 2016 and 2026.

These are just some of many careers for professionals with education in healthcare administration. When you find a healthcare administration certificate that you’d like to pursue, talk to an academic advisor to determine whether or not it will help you pursue your specific career goals.

Use our site to find an on-campus healthcare administration certificate in an area you’d like to study. Click on program icons or hyperlinks to learn more about the certificate and the school that offers it. When you find a healthcare administration certificate of interest, you can contact the school directly using our onsite form. Through that feature, you can request more information or ask for help to register. We wish you luck as you take this next step in your pursuit of advanced education!

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